5 Natural Ways To Increase The Level Of Serotonin In The Brain

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that are transmitting signals from one brain area to another, and serotonin is acting exactly like these chemicals in the brain.

Serotonin is affecting various psychological and other functions in the body, including cells related to appetite, sexual desire, sleep, mood, learning, memory, learning, some behavior, and the temperature regulation.

Usually this brain chemical is related to depression and most of the people don’t know the other various functions of serotonin in the brain. People think that serotonin can be only reproduced with drugs available only with prescription from a doctor, which can also cause severe side effects.

Great news are that we can increase serotonin completely naturally.

Low amounts of this brain chemical are in some part connected to various diseases, both acute and chronic.

Here are 5 natural ways to increase the level of serotonin in the brain:

Take Some 5-HTP

This substance which was initially called 5-Hydroxytryptophan, has been proved to effectively treat depression, anxiety, hypertension, insomnia and fibromyalgia. This substance is stimulating the serotonin production.

Also 5-HTP can suppresses the appetite, so it has positive results on weight levels. One Italian study conducted on females, has showed that those who have ingested this substance have lost extra 10 pounds in 2 weeks, as oppose to the placebo group who managed to lose 2 pounds in that period.

It is recommended to take 100 to 400 mg a daily dosage. It should be consumed in multiple doses, for example at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You should expect noticeable results of 5-HTP supplementation after a period of 4 to 6 weeks.

Get Some B Vitamins

Vitamin B6 is helping in the function and development of serotonin in the brain. Vitamin B6 has numerous effects on the brain chemicals,so the people that are prone to stress should add a B-complex product in their diet. Vitamin B6 and B12 are both effective in reducing symptoms of depression while at the same time they’re preventing erratic neutral brain activity.i

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published a study that has showed that the diet supplemented with B-vitamins can improve the condition of older adults with depression or depressive-like symptoms.

50 to 100 miligrams is the recommended daily dosage of B-complex product, like a supplement.

The people that have additional symptoms such as exhaustion or cronic stress/fatigue should add pantothenic acid on a daily basis. B5 vitamins in 250 mg dosage should be sufficient for improvement of these symptoms.

Embrace The Light

When we open the shades on a sunny day our mood is drastically improved. That is because our brain is producing serotonin chemicals by itself. Even on a cool, cloudy days, a little sunshine has positive influence on our mood.

A healthy and productive practice is to have about 15-20 minutes’ walk, once or twice a day. The best is to have a walk in the morning, because in this time of the day we’re mentally preparing for the whole day and we can burn more calories.

So in this way our brain will produce serotonin and we will burn some calories.

Get a Massageo

Probably you didn’t know that massages directly influence the levels of serotonin. In a physiological level, massages are lowering cortisol- the stress hormone which is blocking the serotonin production.

According to the researches, professional massages are reducing the cortisol levels by 31%. When the production of cortisol is prevented, the brain is capable to produce serotonin. Massages are increasing the production of dopamine – “reward and pleasure” brain chemical.

According to many experts, guided massage therapies are the most efficient method of increasing the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. But even a simple massage by someone close will be enough for the majority. People with turmoil and trauma should consult a licensed massage therapist.

Meditate

Numerous scientific studies have shown that meditation has physical and psychological benefits. Meditation is boosting serotonin production. There are numbers of meditative practices, which will improve the serotonin production.

The most beneficial mediation practice for boosting serotonin, is the Transcendental Meditation (TM).

According to researchers TM is a potent stimulant on the levels of serotonin as a result of the increasing of 5-HIAA- which is one of the serotonin’s building blocks. Scientist have found out that the increased levels of serotonin in the brain are related to the increased amounts of 5-HIAA.

Meditation is lowering the cortisol levels in the brain, similarly to massages. Meditation is exceptionally proficient in causing a relaxed brain response while repressing the natural fight or flight” reaction of the brain.

Another meditative practice related to increasing of the serotonin levels is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). The reason is since MBSR additionally sensitizes the receptors of serotonin.